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This is a memoir written by a brave young doctor who in the early years of a successful career went blind with something called keratoconus. Usually it can be treated with a corneal transplant, but regrettably he was one of the few whose transplant was rejected. Not only did he go blind, but this condition caused him a lot of pain - and continues to do so.

As readers we get an excellent insight into what the experience of going blind feels like. The moments of hope and the moments of distress, when he realised that nothing is going to be able to help. His fumbling efforts to try and get used to ordinary life as a blind person, and the wonderful support he gets from his wife and family. He works hard on coming to terms with his blindness - going as far as learning to read braille, which can't have been easy as an adult. Later on in the book we also have a chapter written by his wife, about the challenges she had to handle in the beginning, trying to support him in the face of his despair, coming to terms with the fact her career now involved her being the sole breadwinner for the family, and trying to keep positive with the various changes they had to make to their lives in order to make life liveable.

However the bulk of the book concerns Patel's experience of getting his wonderful guide dog Kita, and explaining the amazing work she does for him. By the end of the book you appreciate the extraordinary amount of care and training that goes into creating a guide dog - and what a superb job the people from The Guide dogs for the Blind Association do. From a carefully monitored puppyhood, to hours of patient, expert training, and up to the care that is given to matching each dog to the right person.

The book also discusses Patel's work with RNIB (The Royal National Institute for the Blind), and The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association - his campaigning for better access for people who are blind, to many of the facilities that the sighted take for granted.

I found the book an interesting read, but it didn't move me nearly as much as it could have done - therefore the three stars. I'm very glad I read it though, as I learnt a lot.